3 males jailed after man fell from van during attempted bike theft in Southport

ON Friday, 28 February 2025, 3 males were jailed for their parts in an attempted theft, in Southport.

The Court was told that during the attempted theft a male suffering serious life changing injuries after falling from the rear of a van. Merseyside Police explained that:- "We were contacted at:- 8.25pm, on:- Friday, 19 July 2024, after the 20 year old man fell from the rear of the moving white Peugeot Boxer van as he attempted to intervene in a suspected motorbike theft on The Promenade / Leyland Road. The man, who is now 21, suffered head and chest injuries during the incident. He was taken to Hospital where he still continues to receive treatment."

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Suffield said:- "This was a shocking incident which has left a young man with life changing injuries. The three defendants stole a motorbike and attempted to load it into the van but were unable to close the rear doors. The victim climbed aboard the van in attempt to stop them but it was driven away in such a manner that it caused him to fall from the rear of the van resulting in catastrophic injuries. The events of that day have had a devastating impact on that man, who still continues to recover from his injuries, and his family. Today the three men are behind bars where they belong and I hope that this result will allow the victim to move on from that day and continue with his recovery."

A victim personal statement from the victim's family, which was read to the court, said:- "This attack has left my son unable to engage with the world as he once did. His 1 bright and hopeful demeanour has been replaced by sadness, confusion and frustration. It is heart-breaking to witness his struggle and know he cannot fully comprehend why this happened to him. Our family is overwhelmed with grief, anger and a sense of helplessness. We are a very close knit family and had so many plans made already. Time has stood still for us all. No sentence can undo the damage caused, but we trust that justice will be served to prevent others from enduring such pain."

As a result, Mason McLean, 20, of Gilbert Street, Liverpool City Centre, was charged with conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He has now been jailed for 6 years and 8 months and disqualified from driving for 2 years. Dylan Tollitt, 24, of Grafton Street, Toxteth, was charged with conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle and an unconnected charge of possession with intent to supply drugs. He has been jailed for a total of 4 years and 4 months. And, Leroy Agatha, 23, of no fixed abode, was charged with conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle. He has now been jailed for 3 years.

£120m to roll out more electric vans, taxis and motorbikes

DRIVERS, cabbies and businesses are set to benefit from £120m in Government funding to make the switch to cleaner vans, wheelchair accessible vehicles and taxis easier, faster and cheaper.

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood confirmed that the Department is extending the Plug in Van Grant for another year, to help van drivers and businesses transition to zero emission vehicles.

The extension will mean businesses and van drivers can receive grants up to:- £2,500 when buying small vans up to 2.5 tonnes and up to:- £5,000 for larger vans up to 4.25 tonnes.

The Plug in Van Grant has helped sell over 80,000 electric and zero emission vans since its launch, as the Government continues to back businesses all over the country.

The Department is also making it easier to switch to zero emission vans; which can be heavier than their petrol and diesel counterparts despite being of the same size; by removing the requirement for additional training which is currently in place only for zero emission vans but not their petrol and diesel equivalents.

This will help businesses by taking away training costs, cutting red tape and making it easier to hire drivers when operating electric vans.

The funding is part of over:- £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs. This is creating high paid jobs, supporting businesses up and down the country and tapping into a multi-billion pound industry to make the UK a clean energy superpower and deliver our Plan for Change.

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said:- "From van drivers and businesses, to drivers with accessibility needs, bikers and cabbies, today we are making it easier, faster and cheaper for people to switch to electric vehicles. By making the transition to zero emissions a success, we're helping to drive growth all over the UK, putting more money in people's pockets and rebuilding Britain to deliver our Plan for Change."

The Department is also supporting taxi drivers make the switch to electric for another year, by making £4,000 available to buy an iconic zero emission black cab amongst other models, making journeys cleaner and more comfortable for passengers.

The Plug in Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Grant cap is also being increased from:- £35,000 to £50,000, giving consumers a wider choice of vehicle models and removing barriers for disabled passengers, so that they can get around more easily and with greater peace of mind.

This is a positive day for bikers as well, who will continue to enjoy a:- £500 grant from Government to buy an electric motorbike for another year.

Alongside this financial support, the Government strengthened incentives to purchase zero emission vehicles in the Autumn Budget by maintaining generous ZEV incentives in the Company Car Tax regime.

The transition to electric continues at pace. With over 382k electric cars sold in 2024; up a fifth on the previous year; there's never been a better time to switch to EVs, with 1 in 3 3 used electric cars under £20,000 and 21 brand new electric cars RRP under £30,000.

Owning an electric car is also becoming increasingly cheaper, with drivers able to save up to £750 a year if they mostly charge at home compared to petrol.

There are now over 74k public chargers in the UK, with a record of nearly 20k added last year alone. With 24/7 helplines, contactless payments, and up to date chargepoint locations, charging has become easier than ever.

With £200 million announced at Budget to continue powering the chargepoint rollout and £6 billion of private investment in the pipeline, the UK's charging network will continue to see tens of thousands of chargers added in the coming years, so that EV owners can drive with the confidence that they're never too far from a socket.

Last year saw record numbers of people making a supported switch to electric vehicles, with the UK leading Europe in sales, and growth of more than a 5th on the previous year. The Government has been engaging closely with car manufacturers on how to support them to deliver the transition to electric vehicles with a consultation recently closing which sought views from industry on how to deliver the manifesto commitment to restore the 2030 phase out date for new purely petrol and diesel cars.

The average range of a new electric car is now 236 miles; that's about 2 weeks of driving for most people; all the while emitting just 1/3 of the greenhouse emissions of a petrol car during its lifetime.

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